The Caged Wolf
by Artemis Day
Summary: Peggy Carter is a sensible woman, one who just happens to know about a not so sensible world that exists without our knowledge. When a captured werewolf needs her help, Peggy is more than ready to step up to the plate, but is she ready to lose her heart? Prequel to By the Light of the Moon.
**A/N:** **This is a prequel to my previous fic, By the Light of the Moon. It takes place about three years before the events of that story, but you don't have to read it to understand this. Only if you want to see what happens next and are interested in trying out a crazy rarepair.** **
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* * *

Margaret Carter- Peggy to those close to or unafraid of her- liked to think of herself as a sensible woman. She had, after all, grown up in a sensible environment, around sensible people, learning to go through life in a sensible manner. She was not prone to flights of fancy, she never had a rebellious phrase, and she didn't dream of a fairy tale prince sweeping her off her feet and carrying her into the sunset.

That last one especially was the farthest thing from her mind. She hadn't ruled out the idea of marriage and motherhood, but they were fairly low on her list of priorities. First and foremost, she had work to consider. Her government job ate up most of her time, and what little she had left was dedicated to reading, going to the gym, or the occasional spa day with her roommate. While the latter provided ample discussion of all the handsome men walking around in tight shorts, work was never far from mind. Her newest promotion came with even longer hours, substantial pay raise notwithstanding. She'd had to cancel on Angie three times last month. One more, and the spirited waitress was likely to do something drastic.

If Peggy woke up one more to find herself and Angie on a plane flying to Hawaii for a weekend getaway, she couldn't say for certain that she'd demand they turn around. Work was a killer, and toiling away with paperwork while all her buddies got to go out and do the fun stuff did not help.

Still, Peggy held her head high and never complained. Boredom could be dealt with at home, and the money kept the rent paid and put food on the table. Peggy knew this because she was, above all else, a sensible woman.

Her life motto was simple: if she could see it, it was real. If she could touch it, she could handle it. If she needed help, she would ask for it, but if she didn't, nothing could stop her.

Right now, Peggy Carter did not need help, she just needed something interesting to happen. Something different. She needed to exist in one of those worlds where as soon as the main character lamented their bland doldrum of a life, something amazing came along to shake things up.

It never occurred to Peggy that she might be in such a world after all, not until the morning she entered the base to find a caged werewolf being unloaded from a truck.

* * *

The problem with living in a world where vampires and werewolves secretly existed was… well, no one would ever believe you.

Hell, Peggy wouldn't have believed it had she not been 'in the know' since she was seven.

That was the year her family went to their up-state cabin for the summer, and Peggy's uncle staggered back one night with a bloody gash in his arm like an animal bite. The Alpha arrived the next day to explain that a young and overzealous member of his pack (whom he brought along to apologize) had gotten away and lost control of himself. Uncle Richard was suitably horrified, even more so upon finding out that lycanthropy was permanent and nothing that could be done for him. Over time, he mellowed out and accepted it. Peggy's aunt seemed a little too enthusiastic about some of the changes the transformation wrought, increased stamina being the big one. Her two cousins grew up around werewolves and joined the pack by choice upon reaching adulthood. Despite a few rough patches, it all worked out for everyone.

As for Peggy… well, she'd never quite known what to make of the werewolves. They weren't anything like in the horror movies. Most of them had normal jobs and families in between the monthly wolf transformations. Her cousins came home every Christmas joking about how she should let them bite her already so she could join them on their hunts. She'd probably wipe the floor with them, they reasoned.

Peggy couldn't argue with that (she had always beaten them at everything else), but frankly… she liked herself the way she was. She knew that being a werewolf would bring about changes, and much as everyone liked to think of her as an iron lady, she could never be sure how she would handle them. That, and having to carry bathrobes and an extra set of clothes everywhere was bound to get tiresome.

"Besides," she finished off her list of justifications for the hundredth time, "I do know how these things work. You have to be born a werewolf to transfer lycanthropy, and neither of you were born werewolves, however much you wish you were."

Thus, the matter was dropped until next year, and every year until, Peggy suspected, this one.

The wolf in the cage was undoubtedly a werewolf. He was much bigger than a normal wolf, his hind legs more muscular for walking upright. His fur was a yellowish color, perhaps blonde. Whatever it was, it definitely was not normal for a run of the mill wolf. Most telling were his eyes, the way he searched his surroundings, moving frenetically around the cage, checking the bars for weak spots. No doubt he could get out on his own if he wanted to, but in a fortified cage like this, he would have to use all his strength to break the bars, and that would lead to one of two outcomes.

The first being that he'd get shot before he could reach the treeline. Normally not an issue as bullets of any kind- including silver unlike what the myths said- had no effect on a werewolf. A shot to the head would be the only way to do it, and most of the men on this base had been highly trained in eliminating moving targets.

The second was that he would get away, but his dramatic escape will have been caught on camera, leading to massive speculation into how a wolf could be so powerful as to break through iron, which would lead to a citywide search to catch the beast in for study, which could potentially expose whatever packs lived in the area and let out a secret that had been carefully hidden for centuries, if not longer.

Overall, the werewolf was stuck. And quite miserable. He'd given up looking for a gap and curled up in one corner of the cage as he was moved to the maintenance elevator. Soulful gold eyes stared out at the crowd of agents. If Peggy didn't know better, she'd think he was looking at her for a second.

"What's all this then?" She asked her direct superior.

Phillips ran a hand over his wrinkling face. He looked more tired than usual. That would be another five hour nap in his office while his two secretaries fielded his calls.

"Someone called the cops about a disturbance on their farmland. Some kind of animal had killed two of his sheep. They caught this one nearby."

Peggy nodded, putting on the best mask of indifference she could manage.

"So what's next? Zoo transport?"

"Depends on whether or not animal control determines it to be dangerous. I know that farmer will want it put down before tomorrow-"

Peggy's eye twitched.

"-but we have to follow procedure. For today at least, it'll be kept here. Should have been the local PD's problem, but they've got some kind of renovations going on, I don't know."

Phillips left Peggy alone as someone called him away. Everyone else had gone back to work a long time ago, the wolf forgotten as the regular daily workload flooded in. Only Peggy stared at the glowing numbers above the elevator that stopped on the lowest level of the basement, and only Peggy sat in her office all day with her eyes on the clock and resolve in her heart.

* * *

The basement was technically not within Peggy's level of access. Technically, if she was caught on the lower levels in a janitor's uniform nicked from the supply room, it could spell the end of her professional career. It would mean a serious scolding from Phillips at the very least if someone working the late shift found her skulking around the wolf's cage and understood that she intended to try and break him out. Worst case scenario, she would face jail time or even deportation. Lord only knew what would happen to this poor thing if she wasn't able to save him.

But since Peggy Carter was a sensible woman, she knew quite well the most reasonable thing one could do in this situation: not get caught.

The first part was easy. She was not the first or the last to need a few extra hours after everyone else had gone home. The last person to clock out left at ten after nine. Peggy waited fifteen minutes just in case some wayward janitor wandered up here ahead of schedule. No one should be starting on this floor for another half hour at least. At nine thirty on the dot, Peggy stepped into the hall and walked briskly in the direction of the elevators. She stayed close to the walls. The tiny red lights of the security cameras were impossible to spot unless you knew where to look. Peggy deliberately passed two of them in perfect view. Any guard who happened to be watching the feed would see nothing more than a senior officer heading home for the night. Nothing suspicious there.

Getting into the elevator was the tricky part. Peggy took an alternate route in the main hallway. This one led to a second maintenance elevator with a notoriously unreliable employee's lift right next to it. At the moment it was closed off for repairs. The big red sign stuck in the juncture of the doors was not part of her plan, but a welcome surprise. All it was missing was an invitation to use the maintenance elevator instead, but on the off chance someone decided that the footage of Peggy Carter using it was enough to warrant discussion… well, what did they expect her to do? Walk all the way to the other side of the building for the sake of obeying one minor rule?

As the doors slid shut, Peggy let out a breath. The hard part was over, and the elevator was already descending past the ground level. Down, down, down she went. This facility had three basement levels, a design choice left over from the Cold War. The deeper one went, the safer they supposedly were from radiation. Peggy didn't know how accurate those claims where. God willing, no one ever would.

If nothing else, the three levels made for excellent storage space, and security decreased the farther down one went. Everything important or 'Top Secret' was kept primarily in the first and second levels. The third level was more of a glorified broom closet. That they'd put the wolf down here of all places meant that Phillips was either underestimating or overestimating him. She'd have to meet him first to find out which.

Peggy felt a blast of cold air upon stepping out of the elevator. Shrugging on her coat, she did the buttons up to her chin, but the freezing air still penetrated the thick fabric, biting her skin and forcing her to hug herself around the waist to get warm. She almost envied the wolf. With all that fur, he must not notice the chill at all.

She found him easily. This level had only one hangar sized room full of boxes, broken down office furniture and partially dismantled fighter planes. The lights switched on one at a time as the motion sensors picked up on Peggy's movements. The golden wolf, curled up in his cage so that at first she thought he was asleep, raised his snout to the ceiling, sniffing the air. Peggy stopped before the cage. They'd traded in for an even smaller one. She had to get to her knees just to look him in the eye.

"Hello," she said. "Glad to see you're up."

The wolf tilted his head. His eyes were expressive, human-like in spite of the distinctly lupine glow.

"My name is Agent Margaret Carter. I'm a senior officer, and I know you're not a wolf in the sense that they think you are."

She had expected some kind of surprise from him at being recognized, or maybe relief that he had an ally, or even threatened by the notion of her exposing him. If he felt any of this, he didn't show it. He kept still and calm. The low roof of the cage meant he could hardly stand on all fours, let alone two legs. He hadn't tried to change back either.

"My uncle, Richard Carter, is one of you. As are his sons, John and Malcolm. Their pack travels north of here, so you might not know them."

The wolf shook his head. He made a sound like a whine, and Peggy had to fight not to pat him on the head. He wasn't a dog after all.

"The point is that I am fully aware of the existence of werewolves, and I'm here to let you know that I am going to do everything in my power to get you out of here. Animal control will be picking you up some time tomorrow. I want you to stay calm and not try to get out yourself. I think you already know not to do that, but just in case."

That sound again, but firmer this time like an agreement. It then occurred Peggy that she'd been calling the wolf by masculine pronouns all this time without ever finding out if they were a man.

"Pardon my bluntness, but you are male, right?"

The wolf looked genuinely taken aback. What would be a mundane expression for a human was downright goofy on the face of a wolf.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said. "Now, is there any way I could get your name."

He lowered his head with a growl. She'd once learned that werewolves had their own language when transformed that only they could understand. Maybe she should have let her cousins try biting her after all. It would've made this a lot easier.

"Let's see if I can figure it out." She sat down. This could take some time. "How many letters first of all? Six?"

He gestured downwards with his head.

"Lower, you mean? Um… four?"

He gestured up.

"Five, then. All right. Does your name begin with a… C."

He shook his head.

"T?"

He gestured up.

"S?"

He nodded.

"Excellent. This is proving much simpler than I had expected. So five letters and starting with S…"

It only took her two guesses from there.

"Steve," she said.

His paw came up through the bars. Peggy took it, marveling at the raw strength that radiated off of him. It was leagues above what the wolves in her family were capable of. He could only be a born werewolf, like the beta that had been her family's introduction to the supernatural world. If Steve was a beta like she suspected, he was very new to his power. Were he not as big as he was, she'd think he was just a teenager learning to control his base form.

Wrapping her comparatively tiny hand around his paw, she shook it gently, letting go before he could pull away. A smile graced her features as she lost herself once more in the depths of his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you."

* * *

"So… you have to rescue a werewolf named Steve."

That was something Peggy loved about Angie Martinelli. She never failed to go with the flow.

"He's going to be handed over to animal control tomorrow unless I do something," Peggy said. She closed out the web page detailing the laws regarding potentially dangerous or destructive wild animals. So far, she hadn't found anything of use on the world wide web. "If he is what I suspect him to be, his pack won't take kindly to losing him. Born werewolves make up just a little over twenty five percent of the entire werewolf population. It's possible that even if he doesn't break himself out, his pack's Alpha might try."

"I understand that part," said Angie as she propped her feet up on the couch the way Peggy was constantly asking her not to. "What's getting me is that it's a werewolf, and his name is Steve."

"What's wrong with that?"

" _Steve_ , English. It's not a very… werewolf-y name, you know what I mean?"

Peggy spun her swivel chair around. "Need I remind you that the most famous depiction of werewolves in all of cinematic history is called Larry?"

"Touche."

"I just need to come up with some way to free him without drawing any attention," Peggy said, putting her head down.

"Drive in, grab the cage and drive off?" Angie suggested.

"I said _without_ drawing attention."

"Then I guess you should have been a zookeeper instead of a spy."

"I'm not a spy, Angie."

"Close enough."

That was another thing Peggy loved: Angie never failed to turn everything around with a witty remark.

Not that it was going to help her now. Every one of her painstakingly specified searches turned up nothing. She'd read through so many useless articles that her eyes burned, hoping against hope for something even remotely useful. Each new lead took her to another dead end. She was getting dangerously close to admitting defeat, and that was not a word Peggy Carter used lightly.

As a sensible woman, Peggy knew that one could not win every battle, but as a natural born fighter, she would beat all adversary into the dirt if even a shred of hope remained.

The heartbreaking sadness in a lost wolfman's eyes was what kept her going.

"There has to be something I can do," she muttered. "I'm not going to give up."

"Yeah, you're more likely to run in and start beating people with chairs, aren't you?"

Peggy would have answered with a cutting remark of her own, but… well, Angie wasn't wrong.

"It would be easier if I had some kind of help."

"Why don't you call your cousins? Maybe they can do something."

"They're hunting in Montana. I don't think they even have their phones right now." Peggy lifted her head to a string of number twos that her forehead typed into the search bar. "I found a law about animals being claimed by owners, but that would require official papers-"

"You could do that."

"And arranging transport-"

"You could do that, too."

"And getting someone to pose as his owner."

"That might be the sticking point."

Peggy was about to take a nap on her keyboard again, but in the opaque shine of the computer screen, Angie threw an arm over her head and closed her eyes. Her hair was spread around her face like a halo. If Peggy didn't know this to be her friend's default relaxed pose, she would think that Angie was preparing for another one of her auditions. Being an aspiring actress might as well have flooded over into her everyday life, and if anyone had the capacity to bat their eyelashes and sell an unbelievable lie as an irrefutable truth…

All right, maybe she was getting ahead of herself there.

It mattered not. Peggy's master plan was already formed.

* * *

While Peggy might be accused of tooting her own horn, she had to say that these official documents of ownership were absolutely the best forgeries she had ever made in her entire career.

Not that she had made other forgeries, mind you. Only that if one were to assume that she had (which she hadn't), these would have been leagues ahead of them in quality.

In fact, they are so good that Phillips couldn't even tell the difference when 'Clarice Graham' handed them over. He studied them for the longest time. 'Clarice' twiddled her thumbs and tapped her foot. The conservative dress did not suit her, but she made a pretty good blonde if Peggy did say so herself. Angie had almost knocked the wig off from scratching twice, until Peggy 'accidentally' bumped her chair while fetching some coffee. Since then, she'd been still, or as still as one could be in the middle of what was technically an act of fraud.

"So Ms. Graham," Phillips said. "This wolf is… your pet?"

"He's actually a mixed-breed," Angie said. She locked eyes with Peggy as the mug was placed in front of her. Peggy made a tiny gesture with her head at Phillips. "He's a mixed-breed with a birth defect. That's how he got so big. I guess it also has a lot to do with his wolf side. His great grandfather was a timber wolf."

"You're telling me that… _dog_ of yours is only _one eighth wolf?_ "

"Like I said, birth defect."

Phillips narrowed his eyes. Peggy placed a hand on the top of the chair, close enough that her knuckle brushed Angie's shoulder. She hoped that would keep her calm. Any more, and Phillips would definitely suspect something was up. As it was, he was skeptical. Peggy knew it when he called his secretary and told her to dial Ronson. Ronson was their man in the records department. If anyone could sniff out a fake, it would be him.

So it came as a major boost to Peggy's ego when, after careful inspection of the seal and signatures, Ronson declared the papers one hundred percent authentic and bluntly informed Phillips that there was no reason not to turn over to Ms. Graham that which was rightfully hers.

Not bad for just one all-nighter.

"You'll have to talk to the representative from animal control," Phillips said as they led her out of his office so she could sign the release forms. "Your dog is suspected of trespassing on private property and killing livestock."

"I can assure you, Sparkles woulds never do something like that. He may be big, but he wouldn't hurt a fly."

They loaded the wolf's cage into the back of the large pickup truck. Peggy made a mental note to thank their neighbor once again for letting them borrow it on such short notice. She smiled at the wolf when their eyes met. He was curled up, playing possum so to speak in front of all the unaware normal people. His human side still shined through the wolfish exterior, and the look he gave her was one of pure gratitude.

"You owe me big time for this," Angie said as they drove away, ripping off the wig and throwing it into the back seat.

"We've already discussed the terms and conditions," Peggy said. "I'm on dish duty for a week, you get unlimited access to my wardrobe for a month-"

"And I get the TV friday nights to watch my soaps."

Peggy rolled her eyes. She hated those things. The stories were convoluted, they never went anywhere, and ninety percent of the actors had all the skills of an overly emotional teenage girl. For the life of her, she would never understand why Angie loved them so much.

She made a turn off the main road. They'd be on the outskirts of town in just under five miles.

"Aren't they going to miss you back there, English?"

"It's my lunch break," Peggy said. "You were quite good."

"Thank you," Angie said brightly. "I've been practicing. I'm just kind of sad that I didn't have to use the tears. I think I've got them down."

Angie's eyes dropped. Her bottom lip quivered. Her face scrunched up into a ball and her breath hitched as full blown tears streamed down her face.

"Please, let me bring him home," she warbled. "My poor Sparkles… he must be so cold and lonely, and I've missed him so. Please, oh please, give him back!"

Angle buried her face in her hands and fake-real sobbed until Peggy had to stop before a red light. She gave her a round of applause.

"I do believe I have the next Oscar winner in the car."

Angie took a short bow. "Thank you, thank you. I'd like to thank the Academy for this prestigious honor. And of course, I would be nothing without my dearest friends, Peggy Carter and Sparkles."

Through the open window, a low growl wafted in. Peggy checked the rearview mirror. Steve had his head up and he was shooting a glare at the back of Angie's head. The two of them shared a glance.

"Can he hear me back there?"

"Angie, he's a werewolf. Of course he can hear you."

They made one stop drop Angie off.

"You sure you don't want to come with?" Peggy asked.

"Eh, I have an audition next week to prepare for. Plus, I want to catch the new All My Children. I'll see you later, English. See you, Sparkles!"

Steve growled again, but by then, Peggy had driven off. She took them deep into the forests surrounding the city. The road she was on was no longer paved, and she rolled over so many bumps that it made her head swim. Steve barely reacted, so busy he was with putting his paws on the bars and watching the trees go by. After a night underground in what amounted to a bunker, the fresh air would do him good. That and the promise of returning to his pack.

Peggy found a suitable spot and parked. This part of the forest should be clear of predators, not that she was worried about bears with a werewolf around. She fished the keys out of her purse and grabbed the plastic bag under her seat. She unlocked the trunk and stepped inside. Steve moved to the back of the cage to give her room as she reached around for the packlock. One turn of the key, and he was a free man. Peggy left the door ajar and hopped off from the side. As soon as she was out of the way, Steve bolted.

He was so fast that he knocked the door off its hinges. She watched him disappear behind a large brush and gave chase, stopping at the edge of the tree line. There were no birds chirping, and a babbling creek somewhere in the distance. With so little background noise, she had no trouble catching his heavy pants as they grew softer and more humanlike. The sun was not in position for him to cast a shadow. Peggy had only her ears to determine if he had left.

"Hello?" she called out. "Are you all right?"

She heard a grunt, followed by a crack as he stretched his muscles.

"I brought you some clothes, though I'm not sure how they'll fit."

She held out the bag. A human hand popped out from behind a tree to take it.

"Thank you," he said.

Peggy waited by the car. She pulled out her phone to check the time. Her lunch break ended five minutes ago. No matter, she was high enough in the hierarchy that no one would question her if she decided to take an extra hour.

As the seconds dragged into minutes without him emerging, Peggy began to wonder if he had simply dressed and carried on to find his pack. Then the bushes rustled.

"I'm sorry," he called out. "The pants fit okay, but the shirt is too small."

"It's quite all right," Peggy said. He didn't come out. "Really, it's fine. I've seen bare chested men before."

He stepped out hesitantly. His hair the same blonde color as his fur, and with all the gold seeped out of his eyes, they were crystal blue. Peggy could have gotten lost in them, but there was so much else to look at. She hadn't been lying about seeing half naked men before. She'd seen fully naked men, even. Not as many, mind you, but a few over the years. Steve was not fully naked, but the pants that 'fit' him so well only just protected his modesty and clung to his thighs like they'd been painted on. And then there was his upper body.

Suffice to say, he put those men in Angie's beefcake calendar to shame.

He had the shirt over one arm, and he wordlessly handed it over. Peggy replaced it in the plastic bag and nodded.

"Well, if you like, I can give you a ride, otherwise, you are free to go."

She gave him a smile and inched further away from him. As long as he was within arm's reach, she was likely to lose control of herself and try to cop a feel. She knew she should have take the extra large t-shirt.

"I could use a lift," he said bashfully. "Only if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," Peggy said. Except they would have to stop at the store because there was no way she'd be able to concentrate on the road with him next to her in the car looking like that.

She walked to the driver's side, only to find Steve opening the door for her. A body like a Greek statue and the manners of a gentlemen. How many women threw themselves at him daily, she wondered.

"So, is it Agent Carter?" he asked during the drive. "Or is it just Margaret or just English?"

"It's Peggy, actually."

"Peggy," he said. "I really can't thank you enough for all of this."

"It was nothing," she said.

"It was not nothing. You stuck your neck out for me, and you don't even know me."

"It was the right thing to do," she reasoned. They were at a light again, and Peggy made the mistake of facing him. His shoulders were ridiculous and so were his arms. How on earth did he ever get biceps like that, even being a werewolf?

"I still need to thank you properly," he said. "Let me take you out to dinner. Anywhere you'd like to go."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

He flushed crimson, all the way down to his stomach. He stuttered a bit, like an awkward virginal teenager, the kind that tried to ask her to prom but tripped over their own feet while attempting a manly strut. Perhaps she'd been wrong about him getting a lot of dates.

"I- I guess we can worry about that later," he said, clearing his throat. "First, I need to call my second to let him know I'm all right. Do you have a phone I could use?"

"Of course." Peggy pulled her phone out of her bag, only to snatch it back before he could take it. "Did you say your _second_?"

Steve blinked. "Yeah. I need to call him."

"You have a second?"

"Yes, why?"

"That means you're an Alpha."

"Right," Steve said sheepishly. "I guess you're wondering what kind of Alpha is dumb enough to get caught by animal control, huh?"

"I wasn't going to say that."

"You were thinking it." Steve chuckled. "It's okay, it's what I'd be thinking."

The light turned green, necessitating Peggy to look at the road again and drive before the cars behind her got antsy.

"I suppose I would like to hear the story," she said, "but go ahead and call him first."

She unlocked her phone and handed it over. Steve thanked her again. She had a feeling it would be a while before he stopped doing that.

"Hey Sam. Yeah, it's me. I got out. Could you let everyone know? ...no, I had help. One of the employees on the base recognized me… She's human, but she has werewolves in her family… Wait, _what_ did they try to do?"

Steve all but yelled into the phone, giving instructions on how to deal with whatever the offending pack members had done. He finished with a request for his second to meet them at the address providing by Peggy.

"And bring me some fresh clothes while you're at it." Steve tried to pull at the belt of his pants. _Tried_ being the key word. "All right, I'll see you then."

He left the phone in the empty cup holder as they sped along towards Peggy's building. They were stopped at another light, along with a group of high school girls in a convertible with the top down. As soon as one of them spotted Steve, they honked the horn. They did it several more times, much to his bemusement.

"Looks like you're popular," Peggy said.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose.

Peggy dropped him off in the parking garage. It was mostly deserted this time of day. She didn't doubt he'd be fine if it wasn't. If that was the case, she'd pity the poor sap trying to mug him first.

"Sorry I can't stick around," she said.

"Don't be. I've kept you from your work long enough. I know I've said it a million times, but I am so grateful to you for all that you've done."

"You have said it quite a lot," Peggy said. She reached into her purse for a pad of paper and a pen. "I still want to know how you got in this mess to begin with, so maybe you can tell me over that dinner you mentioned?"

He took the slip of paper with her number on it. His hands were warm and his finger calloused, and the barest brush of skin to skin contact sent electric shocks through her that she hadn't experienced since the boy she crushed on in secondary school kissed her at graduation. That had been the most romantic moment of her life until now, and it had been a full blown makeout session in the coat closet. This was just a touch.

If brushing fingers with Steve made her feel this way, what would kissing him be like?

That was something she'd be thinking about for a long time.

Hey, even sensible women could have a flights of fancy.

* * *

"So, you did all that just to keep the omegas out of trouble?"

"Unfortunately, a lot of the younger betas like to enact some… cruel hazing rituals." He shook his head. "I still new at being the Alpha. It's not easy earning the pack's respect when the position is basically reserved for you since birth."

Dinner had been wonderful. Nothing fancy as per Peggy's request. Her salary was good, but not 'five star restaurant' good, and there was no way she wasn't going Dutch on the first date. They had settled on the cozy corner diner Peggy frequented. This place had the best chicken noodle soup in the world and threw in a free side salad for regulars. All the usual wait staff was there, and Peggy didn't miss the jealous looks thrown her way as they walked in, nor the depressed face of that one chef who liked to playfully flirt with her.

It was so unlike the last date Peggy had gone on. Jack something or other hadn't been interested in her at all. He just wanted to boast about his own accomplishments, all the way up to the door of her apartment. The only good thing about it was that he was too busy telling another one of his 'heroic' tales to try and get a goodnight kiss. Peggy interrupted his daring rescue of a small family from a burning house to bid him farewell and rush inside.

With Steve, the thought of running never once crossed her mind. He talked about himself, but mostly wanted to hear about her. He'd had childhood dreams of being a soldier, dreams he could never accomplish due to his responsibility to his pack. Everything about her job seemed to fascinate him, even the tedious desk work that took up most of her time. He absorbed it all as if her life was a grand adventure on the level of Audie Murphy. He asked so many questions that when Peggy finally bit into her salmon, it was ice cold.

They were on the street when Steve finally opened up about what had brought him to the base in chains.

"Some of the betas and omegas are new, only just turned or just coming into their powers. The older ones aren't always so helpful to them."

"You'll need to whip them into shape," Peggy said.

"I think it might be more the other way around," said Steve. "I went way too easy on them my first couple of years. The stuff they were pulling would have gotten them beaten bloody if my dad was around. Last week, they started hunting on the edge of the woods during the full moon. Scared a bunch of people half to death until someone called the police."

"And you, being the responsible leader, took one for the team?"

"It's my job. Have to protect the pack at all costs."

His hands went into his pockets. He put it on like he had done nothing of significance by all but sacrificing his life to defend a probably ungrateful youth.

"In retrospect, I think I could have handled it better. I'm pretty sure those same kids are laughing behind my back now."

Yes, ungrateful to the nth degree.

"Not to disparage your authority, but if it was me, I would had had their heads in the dirt by now," she said.

"I'm getting to that point," said Steve. "Sam's tried talking to them, but I think I might need to take a more direct approach. Bring them out to the pond."

"The pond?"

Steve smiled wistfully.

"When I was a kid, my best friend, Bucky, and I went hunting on our own without permission. We were fourteen at the time, and we'd just gained control of our transformations. We thought we were big tough men, you know how it goes."

"I certainly do," Peggy said. She had no shortage of memories of mischievous young boys.

"Anyway, long story short, we almost got killed by another pack that was in the area. My dad and his second had to rush in and save us. By then, Buck and I had gotten into a fight with some of the omega wolves."

"That's awful! Were you all right?"

Steve smirked. "Not to brag, but it's the other wolves you should be worrying about. Dad had to smooth things over with their pack, and for the next three months, Bucky and I were in charge of keeping the pond on our property clean of litter, and we're talking about a very big pond that gets a lot of visitors."

Steve winced, like the memory alone caused him physical pain.

"Needless to say, we never got into trouble like that again, and I still say it was all Bucky's fault. It was his idea."

"A bit of a daredevil, is he?"

Steve's face fell, but Peggy thought nothing of it until she started to outpace him.

"He grew out of that when he was older," he said. "Pretty soon, he was the one keeping me out of trouble. I used to think when we grew up, he'd be my second. That was before…"

Peggy reached for his hand, rubbing circles over his knuckles. His skin was so soft. One would never suspect the kind of power he wielded.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"You didn't," Steve said. "I like to remember the good times with Bucky. He was the closest thing to a brother I'll ever have, and I wouldn't be half the Alpha I am today without him. He was the one who taught me how to fight. You might not believe this, but I used to be really small and skinny."

 _'You're right, I don't,'_ Peggy thought, taking in the incredible strain his arms put on the sleeves of his shirt.

"He was a tough bastard, that's for sure." Steve started to walk again. "Stronger than all the other young wolves. People used to joke that he'd become the Alpha over me if I wasn't careful."

"Oh dear, a competition?"

"Hardly. Bucky always said he just wanted to help me. He believed I'd be a great Alpha long before anyone else did."

They were almost at Peggy's building, and even being an average everyday muggle, she didn't miss the lurking shadows dancing in the streetlight. Steve would have seen them back when they first turned the corner if her understanding of lupine extra sensory perception was accurate, which it always was. For the remainder of their alone time, Peggy took Steve's hand and gave it a squeeze. He tensed up. Lord only knew what he thought about her touching him like this. Peggy could think of a few things she was hoping for, but all of them were wildly inappropriate for a first date.

"I think he would be pleased with the man you've become," she said.

A trash can overturned behind her, as three dark silhouettes descended.

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard," said a cheerful male voice. "You guys are making me cry."

Steve rolled his eyes as snickers rose up over the distant sound of traffic. The voices belonged to a stocky man with a bushy mustache, a skinnier man with five o'clock shadow, and a tall, dark skinned man. Another man watched them from under a streetlamp, shaking his head at his friends' antics. He smiled at Peggy.

"Hey, Peg, good to see you."

"You, too, Sam," she said. She eyed Steve. "Are you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends?"

"Yeah, Rogers, are you?" asked the mustachioed man.

Steve gave him a sharp look, not unlike an army officer when she thought about it. All he had to do to complete the image was go scream in his face for a few minutes.

"Peggy, this is some of my pack," he said. "Dugan, Jacques, and Gabe."

"Hello," Peggy said. She shook each hand in turn, Dugan was the only one to kiss it.

"Enchanted to meet you," he said, which would have sound quite smooth had he a better accent. "Nice to finally meet the beautiful dame Steve has been going gaga over."

Jacques chortled, then spoke a few words in French that Peggy couldn't catch.

"He said you're even prettier than we thought you'd be," said Gabe. "Nice to see this guy finally settling down."

"Guys, knock it off," Steve snapped. "This was just one dinner."

"Yes, at least wait until our third date to start planning the wedding."

Steve's packmates howled with laughter (even Sam threw in a grin), while he searched in vain for something to say to that; his flapping mouth was oddly enticing. Peggy longed to give him something better to do with it, but for the sake of keeping things at a steady pace, she restrained herself.

They stayed a bit longer with the group, until the falling temperatures started getting to Peggy. Even with Steve's jacket draped over her, shivers ran through her. Steve excused himself to take her upstairs, and Peggy gratefully led the way.

"Would you like to come say hello to Angie?" she asked as they got off the elevator. "I don't think you've been properly introduced yet."

"Is she still calling me Sparkles?" Steve asked, grimacing. Peggy didn't know how to tell him that she thought it was a cute nickname for him.

"Maybe some other time, then."

They stopped at the door. Peggy's keys jangled in her purse, but she didn't reach for them just yet.

"I had a wonderful time," she said. "I hope it won't be the last?"

"That's up to you," said Steve. He had his hands behind his back, like he was afraid of what he would do with them otherwise. "I for one was hoping you'd be free next weekend."

"I foresee myself being free a lot of weekends."

This time, she did get a kiss goodnight, if a very swift one that wasn't even on the lips. Steve Rogers, as she had come to learn, was an uncommonly chivalrous man. She imagined (hoped) that he might shed some of that the longer they saw each other. She had heard about what it was like to be with a werewolf, but never before had it occurred to her that she might want to find out for herself. Now that she had met Steve, and found him to be just as wonderful and sweet as she'd hoped… well, she was in for some very not sensible dreams tonight.

She unlocked the door and nearly smacked Angie on the forehead. Her roommate stumbled back, rubbing the ache out of her eye, but whatever pain she was in became secondary once she got to the couch.

"Was that Sparkles?"

Peggy hoped he'd gotten to the elevators before she said that.

"His name is Steve, Angie," she said coyly.

Angie whistled. "I _knew_ I should have gone with you to drop him off."

* * *

There was nothing more lovely than the forest in spring. The sun was out, the air was warm, the leaves were newly budding, and the flowers were in bloom. Peggy got to spend it walking through those trees and around those flowers arm in arm with her best guy.

She and Steve had been seeing each other for over three months. They coordinated around Peggy's tight work schedule and Steve's pack responsibilities, which restricted them to weekends and the occasional friday night. During the workweek, Peggy could expect a daily 'have a good day' text and a bouquet of flowers delivered to her office on mondays. If he had time, he'd show up at the end of the day in his nondescript Toyota, the one from his father that he refused to give up, ready to give Peggy a ride home. He'd even spoken briefly to Phillips one afternoon. Peggy had needed to get in the car quickly to avoid laughing in her SO's face as he shook Steve's hand.

Today, they enjoyed another peaceful stroll through the trees. They passed a group of sullen teenagers picking plastic cups out of the pond water. One appeared to be resting on a big rock while others slaved away, but one hard look from Steve got him right back to work.

And he didn't think he could be a good Alpha.

"I love the forest this time of day," Peggy said. A bee buzzed in her face and she almost jumped. "For the most part."

She let Steve lead her away from that tree. There was a large hive right over their heads, and that was just asking for trouble.

"When I first inherited this place, I went on a long walk from one side to the other," said Steve. "I remember it didn't take as long as I thought it would. It seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid."

"Almost everything does," said Peggy. "I'm almost eye level with my father now. Never realized how small he was until I hit five foot five."

"I'm guessing I shouldn't bring that up if I ever meet him."

"That's a good idea. When you meet him, I'd recommend you talk mostly about baseball."

His hand tightened around hers.

"So how's work?" he asked. He had his face up as if that would keep her from seeing him beam.

"Works been the same. Thank you as always for the flowers last monday, they really brightened up my day."

"Well, you did say you hated mondays."

He was too sweet. Much too sweet to be real. Peggy expected she'd wake up one morning to find everyone around her bursting into Disneyesque musical numbers at the drop of a hat, because she'd surely stepped into a movie.

"The only highlight is that a police officer came by with someone from animal control."

Steve's head whipped around. "Another killing?"

"They're still investigating the first one." Peggy shook her head. "I thought this would have died down by now, but apparently the farmer has some friends in high places, and he's desperate to find out who killed his sheep."

"I've questioned everyone in my pack, and Sam checks in with all the parents to make sure their kids aren't going off on their own."

"I don't think your pack is responsible," said Peggy. "I think that farmer is just careless with his livestock. There are plenty of natural predators in the area that could have-"

"Hang on a second."

Steve pushed Peggy behind him. He pressed her into his back and much as she hated the damsel trope, she obligingly stayed put. She felt a strange vibration coming from the ground below her feet. Changing positions didn't help, nor did lifting off her heels. She let go of Steve to try moving again, only for it stop immediately. Her heart sank as she came to recognize Steve's deep and feral growl.

"Something's here," he said in his rougher voice. He glanced at Peggy through hellish yellow eyes before a twig snapped somewhere ahead of them. It was so close, one didn't need the heightened senses of a wolf to hear it.

 _'I should have brought my gun,'_ Peggy thought as she grabbed up a sharp rock. _'Or my knife. Or a desk chair.'_

Another snap came from behind her. Peggy spun and hurled the rock with all her strength. The young girl in red caught it without trouble.

"Wait a second," she said in an accented voice. "We don't mean harm!"

Two loud grunts preceded Steve and a man in blue rolling into the leaves. They punched and kicked at each other as the girl raced onto the scene.

"Pietro, stop it!"

She tugged at the boy's shirt to no avail. Her efforts proved moot once Steve regained his bearings and tossed his opponent into a tree. He leapt after him, holding him down while he was recovering from the blow and growling in his face. He was just taking on his more wolfish features when the boy lowered his head in a submissive bow.

"Please don't hurt him," the girl said. "We were just passing through."

"And you just happened to feel like attacking us?"

She flinched. "He- my brother thought you might attack us. There's not usually other wolves in this part of the woods."

"That's because these woods are my pack's territory," said Steve. "You two are the ones who are trespassing."

"Oh, so these are your woods," said the boy mockingly. He hadn't picked his head up yet, no doubt still cowed beneath his bravado. "If these are your woods, why didn't you come stop our pack when we made camp here two weeks ago?"

"Pietro," the girl hissed. She stood up straighter when Steve turned his glare onto her.

"I'll need to see your Alpha now," he said. "Take me to him."

"Since when do we take orders from you?" the boy snarled.

"Since you settled on his property," Peggy said, hands on her hips. "I know a thing or two about the law, and if you've been living off his land, that would by all intents and purposes make him your landlord. All good tenants know to follow the landlord's rules."

"Your Alpha," Steve snapped, an inch from Pietro's face. " _Now_."

"I can help with that."

A newcomer, shorter than Peggy, but with a sharp and deadly edge, stepped out of the brush. The girl and her brother shrunk back in shame at the sight of her. The woman appraised the scene, but seemed content when Steve let Pietro go.

"Are you their Alpha?"

"I'm his second," she said. "Natasha Romanov. I see you've already met our lovely twins. This is Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Have you two been causing trouble again?"

She didn't get an answer beyond some garbled mumbling from Pietro.

"They told me your pack his been living in these woods," said Steve. "With all due respect, this area belongs to my pack."

Natasha furrowed her brow. "That's odd. We'd been under the impression that these woods were vacant."

"I don't know where you heard that, but I can assure you, this has been our territory for over six hundred years."

"Our Alpha was adamant that no pack lived here anymore. In fact, he choose to settle here for that reason."

"Then your Alpha is misinformed. I'll need to talk to him right away."

"Sure, our camp is just over here."

Natasha snapped her fingers at the twins and they fell in line behind her. Steve and Peggy walked ahead with her, and nobody spoke until something else hit Peggy.

"Would any of your happen to know about some livestock that was killed near here about three months back?"

She looked over her shoulder to see Pietro's eyes bugging out of his puce colored face. He got a jab in the arm from his sister.

"You idiot. I told you those sheep weren't wild."

Natasha sighed heavily.

She led them into a small enclave. By the positioning of the sun, they were on the northeastern end of the forest, a spot Steve had yet to take her to see. The trees were more plentiful here, with grass so tall that it brushed Peggy's thigh. A sea of voices rose up behind a massive boulder. Natasha led them around it, and within the clearing were no less than thirty people. Some of them greeted Natasha and cast suspicious glances at the unfamiliar wolf in their midst. At least one leered in Peggy's direction. She paid him no mind as Steve's arm came around her.

There was a noted contrast between these werewolves and the ones she'd come to know in Steve's pack. His was one of the older wolf packs in North America, around since the time of the Dutch settlements. His packmates were well organized and carried a strange kind of refinement to them, as much as a group that loved roughhousing over drinks could be called refined. It was no wonder Steve had dreamed of a military career growing up with them.

This pack was more like a patchwork quilt made from as many different fabrics and designs as possible. A ragtag bunch of misfits, from the burly fellow with scars all over his face to the curvaceous woman in a corset sharing a cigarette with a punkish looking fellow sporting a mohawk. One man in a sleeveless top stopped them to plant a kiss on Natasha. She eagerly melted into his arms as Pietro faked a gag. Steve cleared his throat, making the man break the kiss.

"Er- right this way," Natasha said while fixing herself. "He made his bed over here where it's shadier."

She picked up a rock and threw it between two trees. A male voice groaned in response.

"Oh great and powerful Alpha," Natasha called out. "Your pack needs you."

"Why don't you fuck off? I was sleeping."

"During which time Pietro was out causing trouble again. Also, these woods aren't actually empty. I think we have to move."

Another groan as Peggy spotted movement behind the tree. A hand shot out. Fingers dug deep into the bark, creating a grip. Peggy felt Steve freeze up as the Alpha came into view, though she couldn't imagine why until he was fully out in the open.

He was a tall man, probably just about Steve's height, broad shouldered and muscular. The latter was shown off quite well by his skin tight tank top. He had dark brown hair to his shoulders and stubble lining his jaw. Ice blue eyes swept passed her to Steve, but while he hadn't a care for her, Peggy sure as hell couldn't stop staring at him.

For one thing, he had what appeared to be a fully functioning metal prosthetic arm.

And had he not met Steve's gaze with an equal degree of shock and awe, she would have assumed that all of Steve's amazement stemmed from that alone. That was before they spoke.

 _"Steve?"_

 _"Bucky?"_

Peggy's jaw fell. This had just taken a turn.

"You're alive?" Both men spoke as one, tentative like they were afraid the other would vanish into thin air if they made a too quick a movement.

Eventually, Steve grabbed his friend into a crushing hug, lifting him off of his feet.

"I can't believe it. We all thought you were dead!"

"I thought _you_ were dead," said Bucky. He waited for Steve to put him down, then proceeded to lift _him_ up. "Still a little shrimp I see."

"What about you? You're an Alpha now." Steve clapped him on the shoulder, the metal one, Peggy noticed. "How did that happen and… and what the hell happened to your arm?"

The next few hours were full of long explanations, Bucky giving Pietro a verbal thrashing and then putting his head through the wall ("It serves you right," Wanda said as she helped him get unstuck.), and Steve gathering his inner circle to meet with Bucky's pack and reunite with their long lost friend. The werewolves proved to be a jovial bunch, and by the time the moon was out, the party was in full swing.

A couple of Steve's packmates had seen fit to try pouring their beer over Bucky's head. One of them got punched across the room, much to the amusement of the crowd. Peggy sat at the head of the table next to Steve. He was wolfing down his food (no pun intended), stopping only to comment on whatever story Bucky was telling about his nomadic past.

"So when Roth hit you in the nose, did you cry?" he asked after one such tale. "Because you bawled your eyes out that time Dugan punched you."

"I do not recall that," said Bucky. "If I shed any tears, it was from the pain of breaking my hand while beating his face in."

"Remember that time you fell out of our old climbing tree into the river? Got your nice little suit all soaking wet, and your mom had you by the ear."

"Hey, remember when you weren't a smug faced asshole? I sure don't."

"Dumb jerk."

"Stupid punk."

They shared a hug. They'd been doing that a lot, and Peggy was powerless against the pure sweetness of these two huge and intimidating Alpha wolves acting like happy puppies.

"What's so funny?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Peggy answered cheekily.

"Nothing but his face," Bucky chimed in. "How do you even stand to look at that ugly mug?"

Steve shoved him. "You're just jealous that I found her first."

"Yeah, because you know I would have swept her right out from under your nose," Bucky flashed Peggy a grin. "What do you think, Peggy? Feel like hanging out sometime?"

"That's a very tempting offer, Mr. Barnes," said Peggy.

Steve wore a rather adorably miffed expression, right up until Peggy kissed it away. He had her in his lap before she knew what was happening, earning whistles from the other partygoers.

"What a perfect sight," said Bucky. "How'd you two meet anyway?"

Steve broke the kiss. He sucked in air through his teeth and pulled at his collar. Peggy's own clothes felt a little tight now that she thought about it.

"It's kind of embarrassing," Steve said. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Absolutely. What are best friends for?"

* * *

 **EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER**

"So he got himself caught by the government. This big ol' scary Alpha wolf here was in a five by five cage, chasing his tail while all the joint chiefs met with the president to discuss how to handle this national crisis."

"That did not happen," Steve ground out. He was gritting his teeth so hard that he was liable to break them.

"Sometimes details get lost in the shuffle," Bucky said airily. "That's when Steve was blessed in the form of a merciful angel from above. This beautiful woman in white you see here."

Bucky motioned at Peggy, drawing applause from the guests. Unfortunately, she had chosen to accept her mother's offer to wear her old veil. The thing was bigger than her head and functioned like horse blinders. She could only see about a third of them.

"When Peggy came, I know that Steve fell in love at first sight. The sentimental bastard probably had Foreigner playing in his head."

"It was Peter Gabriel actually," said Steve.

"So now we're here today, celebrating the culmination of almost two years of romance. Let's all raise our glasses to this beautiful couple, as they embark on their lives together. To Peggy and Sparkles everyone!"

"To Peggy and Sparkles!" Everyone cried back before dissolving into laughter.

Peggy touched her new husband's hand, before he could go kill his best man at their wedding reception. She pinned her maid of honor with a heated glare.

"Do you see what you've started?"

Angie shrugged. "Hey, I didn't write his speech."

Bucky drank down his champagne and got a new one from the waiter. He downed that one as well and sat, one arm draped over his chair.

"I'm telling you, this is the best wedding I have ever been to," he said. His eyes were not yet unfocused, but he was up to eight glasses now, and werewolf or no, he'd get there soon enough. "Course, it's the only wedding I've ever been to, but I don't think anything's gonna top it."

"Just wait until you get married," said Peggy. He had a crumb of food on his jacket. She brushed it off for him. "We have to find you a nice wolf girl and fast."

"I'm not looking for one of those," he said. "Know what I want? A vampire. I wanna find me a gorgeous vampire dame and I wanna find out if what they say about vampire bites is true."

He spaced out for a second thinking about it. Angie sidled up, eyes devouring him without shame.

"You know," she said, "I may not be a vampire, but I have been known to bite."

She might have been a little tipsy. It was hard to tell when this was how she always got around guys she liked. Bucky sure didn't mind as he took her by the hand and escorted her out.

"Let's talk about that somewhere else, shall we?" He led her out of the ballroom, Angie shrieking with laughter.

"Should we do something?" Peggy asked Steve. "I don't think my mother is going to appreciate the best man and the maid of honor running off together for a shag."

"They'll be back in an hour. That is unless Buck decides to show her some of his tricks." Steve rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, I've heard a lot more about those than I ever wanted to."

"Does that mean you have a few tricks yourself, Mr. Rogers?"

He gave her a look, one she'd come to expect from him, one that always made her knees go weak.

"You'll find out tonight, Mrs. Rogers."

Just like that, she was in his lap again, bunches of white dress overflowing in of his hands. His mouth was hot on hers, and Peggy cared not for how scandalized her family would be, or how Dugan was leading a chant at them to take it further. Nothing mattered to Peggy Carter-Rogers except this wonderful man with his arms around her.

Even sensible women can be romantics at times.

* * *

 **A/N: For the record, the rarepair I mentioned earlier is not Bucky/Angie. I don't even know what kind of popularity that ship has. Here, it's just a fling because Angie would be stupid not to tap that. By the Light of the Moon is a Bucky/Jane fic. She's his vampire, though she doesn't actually drink blood.**

 **So if that interests you, feel free to go read it. If it doesn't, I hope you enjoyed this story anyway!**


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